Sardar Muhammad Yaqoob Khan Nasar

Sardar Muhammad Yaqoob Khan Nasar (Urdu: سردار محمد یعقوب خان نصر‎; born January 10, 1947 in Quetta) is a Pakistani politician and current Member of the Senate of Pakistan. He was the Interim president of the Pakistan Muslim League (N) in 2017. He succeeded Nawaz Sharif after his disqualification by the Supreme Court of Pakistan.

He has served as member of the National Assembly of Pakistan from the Loralai constituency and the Provincial President (Balochistan) and Central Vice President of PML (N). He is the chief of the pashtun Nasar tribe, who have many members in Pakistan and he commands a strong influence and respect in his native province of Balochistan. Sardar Muhammad Yaqoob Khan Nasar has been returning to Parliament regularly since his first electoral win in 1985. He is a close aide of former Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif. He served as a member of Balochistan Provincial Assembly and as Provincial Minister for Irrigation, Development and Public Health from 1985 to 1988, as member of National Assembly and Federal Minister for Environment, Afghan Refugees, State and Frontier Region from 1990 to 1993 and as Senator from 1995 to 1999. He was elected to the National Assembly again in 1997 and served as Minister for Railways from 1997 to 1999.

Sardar Muhammad Yaqub Khan Nasar graduated from the University of the Punjab in 1969 and obtained a Masters in Political Science from the University of Balochistan in 1983. He is involved with Agriculture and coal mining as business interests since a young age. He is married and has four sons and six daughters.

In the February 18, 2008 elections held in Pakistan, Mr. Nasar lost the election from Loralai District where allegations of massive rigging were made by independent election observers. It is noteworthy to mention that he lost to a candidate Sardar Israr Tareen, from the Pakistan Muslim League (Q) which was being supported at the time by then President Pervez Musharraf's Government.

There were approximately 35000 unregistered votes cast against Mr. Nasar in that election by Pervez Musharraf's provincial government of the time. After a lengthy Court battle, Baluchistan High Court ordered a recount and directed the Election Commission of Pakistanto reverse the original decision and declare Sardar Nasar as winner, but the rival candidate Sardar Israr Tareen remained as a member of Parliament from 2008 to 2011 due to practical difficulties of this unique case. The rival candidate Sardar Israr Tareen has again returned to the national assembly after winning the case on 14 May 2012.